Online learning activities
While face-to-face learning is back, the chances of COVID-19 disrupting onsite learning is still a possibility. If this happens, it's important that schools have classroom lessons in place that can be delivered digitally.
ReachOut Schools has put together this package of lessons that can be delivered remotely, and includes classroom resources and Wellbeing Fives on popular topic areas such as resilience, study stress and mental health.
We've also created an action pack to help students cope with the challenges they've experienced, and might still experience due to COVID-19, which includes lessons such as Uncertainty during COVID-19, Coronavirus (COVID-19) and self-care and Staying socially connected.
As we've learnt, supporting student wellbeing in the online environment can be difficult. Our article Connecting with students while teaching online provides a range of tips for teachers looking to build connections with their students. Other useful articles for teachers include COVID-19 and the whole school community and Teacher wellbeing in a changing environment.
ReachOut has also developed resources for the whole school community. You might also like to share with students our youth collection, Coping during coronavirus (COVID-19), and our article for parents, Supporting your teen during coronavirus.
Friendship online learning activities
Support students to maintain and strengthen their friendships.
Friendships end and change
Students examine different ways of dealing with changes in friendships and other relationships.
7-12
60 minutes
Gaining confidence to connect
Students assess different ways to connect and engage with others.
7-10
5 minutes
Maintaining friendships when stressed
Assist students as they develop strategies for maintaining healthy relationships when stressed or during tough times.
7-10
5 minutes
The power of bromance
Help students explore how to maintain close relationships when a friend leaves school or the local area.
9-12
5 minutes
Trying to fit in
Students discuss peer pressure and the concept of fitting in.
7-8
5 minutes
How to have difficult conversations
Through role play, students practise being assertive and explaining how they feel.
7-12
60 minutes
Lesson: What makes a good friend?
Students examine healthy relationships by developing an understanding of what makes a good friend.
7-8
60 minutes
When friends aren't friendly
Students learn how to recognise when a friendship is toxic, and to develop strategies for dealing with different situations.
7-8
60 minutes
Why friendships are important
Students assess why friends are important for a sense of belonging and connectedness.
7-12
60 minutes
Study stress online learning activities
These resources help students to understand stress and develop strategies for coping with it.
Dealing with study stress during coronavirus
This lesson will examine the study stress students can experience due to COVID-19 and investigate ways to manage this stress.
9-12
60 minutes
Managing exam preparation
Students investigate their strengths and goals to reflect on their study routines.
9-12
60 minutes
Exam stress management
Students investigate practical strategies to manage exam stress.
9-12
60 minutes
How to handle fear for the future: A guide for Year 12 students
Help Year 12 students understand their emotions and how they can use coping strategies to support their needs.
11-12
5 minutes
What's your at-home study style?
Students complete a quiz to determine their at-home study style.
7-12
5 minutes
Three good things
Encourage students to share good things that have happened in their life with other students which can help build relationships and connections.
7-12
5 minutes
Releasing stress
This exercise uses progressive muscle relaxation to help student notice, release and manage muscle tension and feel less stressed.
7-12
5 minutes
Helping others with study stress
Students need to feel empowered not only to help others, but also to help themselves. This activity gives students the opportunity to role play difficult conversations they may have with friends.
7-12
5 minutes
Easy classroom stretches
Stretching is a simple stress-release activity. Stretching increases the blood flow to muscles, which helps release tension. Students can stretch sitting at their desks or while moving around.
7-12
5 minutes
Mind dump
When we feel overwhelmed, it’s easy to dwell on what we don’t know, instead of celebrating what we do know.
7-12
5 minutes
Goal setting lesson
Goal setting is a great way to focus and motivate. By setting clear and achievable goals, young people can remember the what and the why.
7-12
5 minutes
Social media online learning activities
Teach students about social media and using it responsibly.
What is social media?
Students learn about social media platforms and the importance of thinking about their terms of service.
7-10
60 minutes
Social media and personal wellbeing
Students examine a scenario to identify activities on social media that could impact on their wellbeing. Students identify strategies they could use to improve their wellbeing.
7-10
60 minutes
Positive uses of social media
Students analyse positive social media trends and outline how they could use social media to create social change.
7-10
60 minutes
Trolling and cyberbullying
Students learn to recognise trolling and cyberbullying and develop strategies to deal with it.
7-10
60 minutes
Boundary setting on social media
Students explore, understand and set their personal boundaries on social media.
7-10
5 minutes
Taming social media use
Students think of ways to manage their social media use.
7-10
5 minutes
Privacy on social media
Students learn about the complexity of privacy on social media.
7-10
5 minutes
Social media is like a tug of war
By applying the metaphor of a tug of war, students engage in discussions of different points of view on social media.
7-10
5 minutes
Online communities
Students investigate the sense of belonging developed through connections made in different online communities.
7-10
5 minutes
The pros and cons of social media
Students evaluate social media using a Venn diagram.
7-10
5 minutes
Upstanders on social media
Students learn how to be an upstander in an online environment.
7-10
5 minutes
Resilience online learning activities
These resources are designed to help students accept challenges and develop growth mindsets.
Self-care hand
When students learn to look after themselves, it builds their self-confidence and helps them focus more on the positive things in their life. There are some steps students can take to encourage the habit of self-care.
7-12
5 minutes
Acceptance
A helpful way to cope with things that are out of our control is to practise acceptance. Instead of seeing ourselves as victims or our situation as negative, acceptance makes us feel empowered about the things we can do.
7-10
5 minutes
What mindset do you have?
Students complete a quiz to learn about the type of mindset they have.
7-10
5 minutes
‘Ways to chill for cheap’ exercise
Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive. This activity provides students with an opportunity to discuss different low-cost ways to chill out.
7-10
5 minutes
Growth mindsets: Learning to walk
As a class, record and reflect on skills and activities that students have mastered, but that had taken time, effort and patience to achieve.
7-10
5 minutes
Rephrasing for a growth mindset
Students learn to rephrase negative statements into positive thoughts to encourage a growth mindset.
7-10
5 minutes
Using rewards to stay motivated
Students identify one goal they wish to achieve and look at ways to keep motivated to achieve it.
7-10
5 minutes
Mental health online learning activities
These resources help to increase students' mental health literacy and help-seeking.
'You Can Talk' video discussion
Through analysis of the ‘You can talk’ video, students learn how to respond when they notice a change in a friend.
9-10
5 minutes
PTSD and psychotic disorders
This lesson will examine post-traumatic stress disorder and psychotic disorders, with students discussing the nature of each disorder, their signs and symptoms, and the professional help available.
9-10
60 minutes
Helping a friend you are concerned about
Students practise having conversations to support friends experiencing mental health difficulties.
7-12
5 minutes
Mental health issues lesson
This lesson focuses on helping students to understand mental health issues.
7-12
5 minutes
Supporting a friend with stress
Students learn how to support a friend who is experiencing stress.
7-12
5 minutes
Supporting students' wellbeing online
Articles, tips and services to support students' wellbeing online.
Connecting with students in the online classroom
Learn how to maintain and strengthen your relationships with students in an online environment.
Mental health support tips for teachers
Are you a teacher looking for general mental health tips? This information will provide you with some practical classroom ideas.
School and study
Starting university, surviving O-Week, staying safe during schoolies, worrying about failing a course, getting a job after uni. These are some of the issues we address here.